1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to doors for motor vehicles and, more specifically, to a forward facing rear door assembly for a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide a rear door for a motor vehicle. Typically, the rear door faces rearward and is attached to a body of the motor vehicle. The rear door hinges at the “B” pillar of the vehicle body by a pair of upper and lower hinges, and latches at the “C” pillar using a striker attached to the vehicle body.
It is desirable to provide a third door on at least one side of the motor vehicle to aid in the entry to a third row seat inside the motor vehicle. It is also desirable to provide a forward facing rear door for a motor vehicle. It is further desirable to provide a rear door hinging at the “C” pillar of the vehicle body of a motor vehicle. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a rear door assembly that meets these desires, and a body side structure that supports the door sag requirements and maintains the body stiffness equal to the baseline.